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Evacuation and family plan

When to leave, where to go, which route to take – and how to find each other again if you are separated.

Last updated: 05/11/2026 · PDF (A4) · PDF booklet (A5)

A plan made calmly works in a rush. A plan made in a rush usually doesn't.

Many evacuations are short and well organised – for example when a Second World War aerial bomb has to be defused and a neighbourhood is cleared for a day. Others come suddenly: a fire in the building, a smell of gas, rising water. The same things help in both cases: you know where you will meet, how you will reach each other and what comes with you. The plan doesn't have to be finished in one evening. Start with the meeting points and fill in the rest bit by bit.

At a glance

  • When the authorities call for an evacuation, you go – promptly and the way they tell you. The sooner an area is empty, the sooner you can come back.
  • Three meeting points: right by the house, in the neighbourhood and outside town. Plus one contact person outside the region whom everyone reports to.
  • Two routes to every destination, in different directions, one of them doable on foot – on the offline map and on paper.
  • Emergency bag ready to grab: one backpack per person, plus documents, medication, phone with charger, keys and money.
  • Before you leave: stove and appliances off, taps off, close windows and doors, tell your neighbours. Shut off gas and electricity at the main only if the authorities say so or flooding is coming.
  • Go back only once the area is released – not because it looks quiet outside.

Start small

Pick one of these tasks each day. None takes longer than ten minutes, and none costs anything:

  • Choose meeting point 1: Go outside and pick a spot on your side of the street – a lamp post, a tree, a garden gate. Tell everyone in the household and add it on the Map or in the family plan.
  • Ask a contact person: Call someone who lives further away and ask whether they would be your "headquarters" in an emergency, the person everyone reports to.
  • Numbers on paper: Write the most important phone numbers on a slip of paper – one for each person, for the wallet or school bag.
  • Download the offline map: In the Map, download the region where you live and where you would go – on Wi-Fi, while you can.
  • Ask the nursery and school: What happens there during an evacuation, where do the children go, and who may pick them up? Check that your current numbers are on file.
  • Arrange somewhere to stay: Ask relatives or friends in another town whether you could stay with them for a few days in an emergency – and whether pets are welcome.
  • Ten-minute test: In Drill, start the "Evacuation" scenario and see how long it takes until everyone is at the door with their emergency bag.

Understanding

Who decides that you leave

Usually the authorities decide: the public order office, fire service, police or civil protection. You hear about it through warning apps such as NINA, the mobile phone alert (cell broadcast), the radio, loudspeaker vans and your town's website – or because emergency services ring your doorbell. If the siren wails up and down for one minute, it means: there is danger, find out what is happening. You can also see current warnings for your district under Warnings.

An evacuation order is not a request. Wiesbaden, for example, states explicitly that you may not stay despite an evacuation, and in 2026 residents in Hameln were told that they would be escorted out of the house if necessary and could be fined. But there is also a friendlier reason to leave promptly: the sooner the area is cleared, the sooner the specialists can start – and the sooner you are back home.

Sometimes nobody has time to warn you. If there is a fire in your home and you can't put it out safely, or gases, fumes or dangerous liquids are escaping inside the building, you leave the building on your own initiative (BBK).

Go or stay?

"Away from home" is not always the safest option. The BBK gives examples of where to find shelter depending on the situation:

  • Gases or fumes outdoors: go inside, close and seal windows and doors, switch off ventilation, go to upper floors if possible – most gases are heavier than air.
  • Gases or fumes inside the building: get out.
  • Flood, heavy rain, flash flood: go to higher areas or floors. Never into the cellar – if it floods, the door can no longer be opened from inside, and there is a risk of electric shock. Avoid underground car parks, underground stations and underpasses.
  • Fire: get out, but never through smoke-filled rooms or stairwells. If the escape routes are full of smoke, make yourself heard loudly at a window.

The authorities can also order everyone to stay at home (BABS). So what the warnings and announcements say always comes first.

Go or stay? Evacuation ordered? yes Go – now as instructed, with your bag no Fire or gas in the building? yes Get out, warn, call 112 never through smoke no Told to stay indoors? yes Stay inside close windows and doors no Stay informed, keep your bag ready
Decision path: If an evacuation is ordered, go immediately, as instructed and with your emergency bag. If not: if there is fire or gas in the building, get out, warn others and call 112, never through smoke. If not: if the authorities say stay indoors, stay inside and close windows and doors. Otherwise stay informed and keep your emergency bag ready.

Why three meeting points

In an emergency, the whole family is rarely at home – someone is at work, a child at school, someone else out and about (BBK 2018). And that is exactly when mobile networks and the internet can fail, for example because of a power cut, a storm, sabotage or a cyber attack (BBK). A place agreed in advance works without a phone.

One meeting point is not enough, because not every situation has the same size. That is why authorities in the US and Canada recommend meeting points in stages. They become three rings:

  1. Right by the house – for anything that affects only your building: fire, a smell of gas. Ideally on your side of the street, so nobody has to cross between traffic and emergency vehicles (Canada).
  2. In the neighbourhood – if you can't get home, for example because your street is closed. A place everyone knows and finds easily: a school, a library, a community centre (Canada) or a supermarket car park (Wisconsin).
  3. Outside town – if the whole town or district is evacuated. For example a car park in the next town (Wisconsin) or straight to the home of relatives or friends.
Three meeting points 1 2 3 1 Right by the house if there is fire or gas on your side of the street 2 In the neighbourhood if your street is closed e.g. school, library 3 Outside town if the town is evacuated e.g. at relatives
Three rings around your home: meeting point 1 right by the house, for fire or a smell of gas, on your side of the street. Meeting point 2 in the neighbourhood, if your street is closed, for example a school or library. Meeting point 3 outside town, if the town is evacuated, for example at relatives.

Don't mix them up: Many municipalities set up their own emergency meeting points or information points, for example in town halls. There you can get information in an emergency; in Baden-Württemberg they are meant to offer shelter, first aid, information and essentials such as water and food (BBK, Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior). These are not family meeting points, but they are good places to know. Ask your municipality and add them to the plan as an "important place".

Why a contact person outside the region

When everyone in a region tries to phone at once, the networks quickly become overloaded (Wisconsin). Someone who lives further away is often easier to reach (FEMA). That is why every family member reports to the same person – far enough away that they are unlikely to be affected by the same event (Canada). They collect the messages and soon know who is where, even if you can't reach each other.

The rule is: text, don't call. A text message needs far less network capacity than a call, often still gets through when calls fail, and doesn't block lines that emergency services need (FEMA, Canada). If you have to call, keep it short.

Everyone reports to one person Your region Me · work Child · school Partner · shopping Grandma · home Contact person outside the region knows who is where Text, don’t call: “I’m OK, meeting point 2”
All family members in the region – at work, at school, out shopping, at home – report to the same contact person outside the region, who knows who is where. A short text instead of a call, for example: I'm OK, meeting point 2.

Sources for this section: BBK guide (11/2025), BBK "Disasters Alarm" (12/2018), BABS emergency plan (10/2022), Treptow-Köpenick district office, City of Wiesbaden, City of Hameln (4/2026), Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior (9/2022), Government of Canada (9/2025), ReadyWisconsin, FEMA Family Communication Plan.

Preparing

Your plan in Bereitsein

You create the whole plan in the family plan: who belongs to the household (with special needs such as medication, help needed, school or nursery), when you leave, meeting points, destinations, routes, contacts, emergency bags and your "Before leaving home" list. For "When we leave", Bereitsein suggests four triggers – the authorities call for evacuation, immediate danger, home no longer habitable, water or medication supply no longer secure. Tick the ones that apply to you; then there is nothing to discuss in an emergency.

Print the plan. FEMA advises keeping copies in several places – in your wallet, in the car, at work, in your emergency bag – and looking it over once a year. With "Show QR code" you pass it from phone to phone without any internet; afterwards Bereitsein shows what has changed since you last shared it.

Choosing meeting points

A good meeting point is easy to find, also for children and in the dark, and reachable on foot. The BBK advises discussing escape routes and meeting points together – including whether they can be reached. Talk through how each person gets there from home, work or school.

  1. Open the Map, tap "✎ Set places" and then the spot. Choose "Meeting point" as the type and a name everyone understands ("lamp post outside no. 12", not "M1").
  2. Or stand on the spot and press "📍 Here" in the family plan.
  3. Also add important places: school and nursery, work, GP, pharmacy and your municipality's emergency meeting point.

Destinations: where you can stay for a few days

Think of one or more places where you could stay for a few days – with relatives or friends, in a holiday flat (BABS, Cologne). The Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection advises: not too close and not too far. Too close, and the place may be hit by the same event; too far, and you won't get there.

  • Main destination and alternative destination, ideally in different directions, agreed in advance – including whether pets are welcome.
  • Write down how you will get there: means of transport and route. In an emergency, however, the authorities may issue their own orders (BABS).
  • Emergency shelter as a last resort: for everyone who can't stay elsewhere, towns set up reception or care centres.

Routes: two ways, one on foot

During an evacuation, expect road closures and changed timetables; they are often only announced when it happens (Cologne, Nuremberg). So:

  • Two routes to every destination, ideally in different directions. If one is closed, take the other.
  • Avoid main roads where you can (BABS).
  • One route on foot. Also plan a way out of your neighbourhood (Canada).
  • In a flood, no flooded roads, underpasses or riverbanks (BBK).
Two routes to your goal Route A closed Route B on foot Home 2 Meeting point 2 3 Meeting point 3 Two routes, different directions, also on paper
Sketch with two routes from home to meeting point 3: route A follows the main road and is closed at one point. Route B goes on foot in the other direction, via meeting point 2. Both routes are also marked on paper.

Don't rely on the mobile network. The BBK points out that many maps can be downloaded and used offline – that is exactly what the Map in Bereitsein is for. In the Android app you download your federal state; in the browser you open a map file, which then works offline. Your meeting points, destinations and important places appear on it, with distance and direction from where you are. You can also download relief and contour lines: they show where the ground rises – in a flood, higher areas offer the best protection (BBK). If you want turn-by-turn directions, you can add the free, open-source app Organic Maps; the "Route" button opens it with the destination. It is not necessary.

Even so: mark both routes on a paper map and put it in your emergency bag – the City of Hannover explicitly recommends a road map showing the assembly points for evacuations. Walk or drive each route once; that is the only way to find out where it gets stuck (Wisconsin).

Contacts and communication

  • Numbers on paper: A printed or handwritten list helps when you can't get at your saved contacts (BBK). Include the numbers of school and childcare, employer, neighbours and relatives who need care (BABS). One copy in every wallet and every emergency bag.
  • Stay reachable: When a crisis is looming, keep your phone switched on at night too (BBK), with a charged power bank.
  • Agree on short messages: for example "I'm OK. Meeting point 2. 2 pm." – who, where, when.
  • Be seen and heard: If you are trapped, Signal makes your phone flash SOS with its light or sound a whistle – without a network.

Emergency bag and documents

When it has to be quick, there is no time to think. The BBK advises taking no more than fits into one backpack per person – a backpack keeps both hands free. It should get you through the first few days, for example in an emergency shelter or with friends, because it can take a while before you are allowed back.

According to the BBK it should contain, among other things: warm clothes, rain protection and sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, important documents, a charged power bank, first-aid supplies, personal medication and toiletries, non-perishable food, a refillable water bottle, cash, a torch and a battery or wind-up radio. In an emergency, add: ID card or passport, money and cards, health insurance card, vaccination record, keys and your phone.

What to take Emergency bag one per person Documents folder, ID Medication with medication list Phone charger, power bank Keys, money cash, cards Pets carrier, food, lead Don’t forget glasses, hearing aids, baby things
What to take: emergency bag, one per person; documents in a folder with ID; medication with medication list; phone with charger and power bank; keys, cash and cards; pets with carrier, food and lead. Don't forget glasses, hearing aids and baby things.

A good test question from Switzerland: Could you pack the essentials within half an hour? If not, they aren't ready to grab yet. Tick off what is in which bag under Emergency bags; more in the guide Packing an emergency bag.

Documents belong together in one folder, ideally in a fireproof or waterproof container, plus a digital copy (BBK). You can leave duplicates with relatives, and everyone in the household should know where the folder is (BBK 2018). More in the guide Document folder.

Where's what at home

Everyone in the household should know where the main water tap, fuse box and gas shut-off are and how to operate them – the Canadian government's family plan includes exactly that. Note it under Where's what, ideally with a photo. Whether you actually turn them off when leaving is decided by the authorities' instructions in an emergency.

Variants for your household

Flat in an apartment building

  • No lift during a fire or evacuation – plan your way down the stairs (BBK 2018, Canada).
  • Know who in the building needs help, and talk to them in advance about their needs (Nuremberg, BABS). See the guide Helping your neighbours.
  • If flooding threatens, move your car out of the underground car park in good time – it can become a death trap (BBK 2018).

House

  • If flooding threatens, switch off the power to rooms at risk early (BBK) – even if you are not leaving yet.
  • Never go into the cellar during a flood (BBK); move cars out of garages at risk (BBK 2018).
  • Keep important documents outside the flood-risk area (BBK).

With children

  • Ask about the school's or nursery's emergency plan: How does an evacuation work there, and where are the children taken? (Canada, FEMA)
  • Name two people who may pick up your children if you can't, and register them there (Canada).
  • Involve children: explain honestly what it is about, make the plan together, learn name, address and one phone number (Canada). Take children's worries seriously (BBK). More in the guide Children in a crisis.
  • ID for the child: a neck pouch or SOS capsule with name, date of birth and address (BBK).
  • In the bag: baby food, nappies, a cuddly toy, books or a game (Cologne, Hameln, Hannover).

With pets

  • Take them with you if you are evacuated – the Canadian government calls this the most important step. During an evacuation you are not allowed back to look after animals (Nuremberg), and animals should not be left shut in at home (BABS).
  • Arrange somewhere for them in advance: with relatives, friends, in a boarding kennel (Canada, BABS). Emergency shelters often don't allow pets, except guide, therapy and assistance dogs (Cologne); some towns allow animals in carriers (Hameln).
  • Keep ready: carrier or lead, food, water and poo bags (Hameln).
  • Short, planned evacuations: During a bomb disposal, animals are sometimes allowed to stay in the flat with food and water (Wiesbaden, Hameln) – the town will say so. If an animal has to stay behind, put out food and water and mark the rooms it is in (BABS).
  • More in the guide People who need care, and pets.

With care needs or a disability

  • Think about what you need if you have to leave the house quickly (BBK): mobility aids, glasses or hearing aids, spare batteries and chargers, medication schedule and supply, emergency contacts, emergency ID card; food and water for an assistance animal.
  • Know the escape routes – and if you can't use them yourself: who will help you, and how? (BBK) If you live alone, arrange for someone to check on you in an emergency and help you leave (Canada).
  • Medication: if possible, and after talking to your doctor, keep a supply for about two weeks (Canada).
  • For ordered evacuations, towns organise help and transport. In Nuremberg, people affected or their relatives call the citizens' hotline and inform the care service; in Cologne you wait in your flat until the public order service rings and tell them that you need help and transport.
  • Communicating with emergency services: pen and paper help; an emergency ID card shows how to communicate with you (BBK).

Without a car

  • For planned evacuations there are often free shuttle buses to the emergency shelter – in Hameln step-free, also for wheelchairs, walkers and prams. You may also leave the area on foot, by bike or by public transport (Nuremberg).
  • Write down which buses and trains get you to your destination (Hannover).
  • Agree on car-sharing with colleagues, neighbours and friends – for you and your children (BABS).

With a car

  • During an evacuation, park outside the exclusion zone (Hameln) or in a safe place (Hannover).
  • Never drive through flooded roads (BBK 2018), avoid underpasses (BBK).

Sources for this section: BBK guide (11/2025), BBK "Notgepäck", BBK "Empfehlungen bei Hochwasser" (2024), BBK "Disasters Alarm" (12/2018), BABS emergency plan (10/2022), Government of Canada (9/2025), ReadyWisconsin, FEMA Family Communication Plan, City of Cologne, City of Nuremberg (9/2026), Hannover.de (1/2025), City of Hameln (4/2026), City of Wiesbaden.

In an emergency

The short version is in emergency mode: Emergency – evacuation.

When the order comes: leaving your home

There is usually some time with an ordered evacuation – sometimes hours, sometimes minutes. What your town or the emergency services on site say always comes first.

  1. Listen for instructions: radio, warning app, announcements, the town's website. By when do you have to be out, where is the emergency shelter, is there a citizens' hotline?
  2. Take emergency bags, documents and medication – plus phone with charger and power bank, keys, money, glasses.
  3. Switch off the stove, oven, iron and other electrical and gas appliances, put out candles and open flames (Hameln, Wiesbaden, BABS). Also switch off lights, motion sensors and light timers – otherwise emergency services checking the area may think someone is still inside (Hameln). If there is time, unplug appliances (Wisconsin).
  4. Turn off the taps (Hameln, Wiesbaden, Hannover).
  5. Gas and electricity at the main only if instructed. The authorities will tell you whether to turn utilities off or leave them connected (Canada). In Wiesbaden, for example, electricity and gas usually stay on during bomb disposals; other leaflets advise turning off the gas (BABS) or switching off gas, electricity and water completely (Hannover). If flooding threatens, switch off the power to rooms at risk early (BBK).
  6. Close windows and doors, lock up (Nuremberg, Cologne, Wiesbaden) – unless the authorities say otherwise. In Hameln, for example, windows were to be left tilted open because of a possible controlled detonation.
  7. Take your pets – with carrier, lead and food.
  8. Tell your neighbours: Does everyone know? Does anyone need help because they are old, ill or have limited mobility? (Hannover, BABS)
  9. Tell your contact person: a short text – where you are going, with whom. Also let your family know you are not at home (Hannover).
  10. Set off: drive your car out of the exclusion zone, or go on foot, by bike or by shuttle bus. Follow barriers and the instructions of the emergency services.
Leaving your home 1 Listen for instructions: radio, app 2 Take bags, documents, medication 3 Stove and appliances off, candles out 4 Taps off – gas only if told 5 Close windows and doors, lock up 6 Take pets, tell your neighbours 7 Text your contact: where, with whom
Leaving your home in seven steps: 1. listen for instructions on radio and warning app, 2. take bags, documents and medication, 3. stove and appliances off, candles out, 4. taps off – gas only if told, 5. close windows and doors and lock up, 6. take pets and tell your neighbours, 7. text your contact person where you are going and with whom.

This list is also in the family plan under "Before leaving home". Adapt it to your home – for example "cat into the carrier" or "fetch the walker from the cellar".

When you have to go at once: fire or gas in the building

Then there is no list, only the essentials (BBK):

  1. Leave the room where the fire is if you can't put it out safely. If possible, close the windows and pull the door shut behind you – the fire gets less oxygen and the smoke stays out of the hallway.
  2. Warn everyone in the household and take them with you.
  3. Leave the building – never through smoke-filled rooms or stairwells. Just a few breaths of smoke can be fatal. If the way out is full of smoke, make yourself noticed at a window.
  4. Call 112 and warn your neighbours.
  5. Count heads at meeting point 1: if someone is missing, tell the fire service immediately (BBK 2018).

In a fire, close the doors but don't lock them – that makes it easier for the fire service to search (BBK 2018). Always: don't put yourself in danger (BBK). More in the guide Fire at home.

If you are separated

  1. Get information: radio or warning app. If your neighbourhood is closed off, don't go home – the area may not be entered once the evacuation has started (Nuremberg).
  2. Short text to the contact person: who, where, where to.
  3. Go to the agreed meeting point: meeting point 1 if the house can be reached; otherwise meeting point 2; if the town is evacuated, meeting point 3 or straight to the destination.
  4. Children at school or nursery: the institution's emergency plan applies. The people you registered there may pick them up (Canada).
  5. If the network is down, the paper plan applies. Nobody needs to be reachable for everyone to know where to go.

On the way

  • Follow the instructions and barriers of the emergency services (BBK).
  • In a flood, avoid flooded roads, riverbanks, underpasses and underground car parks (BBK).
  • Help others without putting yourself in danger; bring children and older people to safety first (BBK).
  • Use 110 and 112 only in an emergency – for questions there is usually a citizens' hotline (Hameln, Cologne). If the emergency numbers don't work, go to the nearest police station or hospital (BBK).

At the emergency shelter or care centre

If you can't stay with relatives or friends, you can go to one of the town's reception or care centres, often a school or a hall. The town announces where it is (Cologne, Hannover).

  • What to expect: shelter from the weather, seating, simple places to sleep where possible, toilets, drinks and snacks, a hot meal during longer operations – and people to talk to, usually from aid organisations (Cologne, Nuremberg, Hameln).
  • What not to expect: basic provision is limited; look after yourself as far as you can (Nuremberg). A blanket or sleeping bag helps (Hannover).
  • Forgot your medication? Ask the helpers on site (Cologne).
  • Tell your contact person where you are.
  • Look after yourself: fear and uncertainty are normal in such a situation. It helps to talk to others, keep small routines, drink, eat and sleep enough, and follow only as much news as you need (BBK). In Germany, the TelefonSeelsorge helpline is available around the clock, free and anonymous if you wish: 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116 123. More in the guide Stress and anxiety in a crisis.

Sources for this section: BBK guide (11/2025), BBK "Empfehlungen bei Hochwasser" (2024), BBK "Disasters Alarm" (12/2018), BABS emergency plan (10/2022), Government of Canada (9/2025), ReadyWisconsin, City of Cologne, City of Nuremberg (9/2026), Hannover.de (1/2025), City of Hameln (4/2026), City of Wiesbaden.

Afterwards

Returning home

  • Only after the area is released. You may only go back once the authorities release the area (Nuremberg, Hameln, Hannover). This is announced through loudspeaker announcements, the media and the town's website (Wiesbaden). Allow time: in Hameln in 2026, residents were told to expect, as a precaution, to return only in the evening.
  • Return in daylight, with a torch rather than a candle (CDC).
  • Smell gas? Get out again at once. No lights, no switches, nothing that could cause a spark. If it is safe, turn off the main gas valve and open the windows. Call the gas emergency service or fire service, and only go back in when they say so (CDC).
  • Visible damage to the building? Only go in once a professional has checked it (CDC).
  • After a flood: never switch electricity on or off while standing in water; have an electrician check the wiring before the power goes back on (CDC). Also have damaged structures and heating-oil tanks checked; if dangerous substances are leaking, call the fire service immediately (BBK).
  • Air it out: if the house was shut up for several days, open windows and doors and let it air for at least 30 minutes before staying longer (CDC). Dry damp rooms quickly to prevent mould (BBK).
  • Document damage: take photos before you tidy up – it helps with insurance (BBK).
  • Fridge and freezer: if the power was off, check the food – see the guide Getting through a power cut.
Returning home safely 1 Only after the official all-clear 2 In daylight, with a torch 3 Smell gas? Get out, switch nothing 4 Damage? Have it checked first 5 Take photos, air out, dry out 6 Refill bags, improve the plan
Returning home safely: 1. only after the official all-clear, 2. in daylight with a torch, 3. if you smell gas, get out and switch nothing, 4. if there is damage, have it checked first, 5. take photos, air out, dry out, 6. refill bags and improve the plan.

Refill and improve

  1. Refill the emergency bags: restock water, food, medication and batteries, charge the power bank.
  2. Sit down together while it's fresh: What worked, what was missing, where did it get stuck?
  3. Update the plan: new meeting points, numbers, a better route? Change it in the family plan, share it again by QR code and replace the printout in the emergency bag.

And then: go through the plan together once a year (FEMA) and practise in between – Drill suggests a round about every six months, from "evacuate in 10 minutes" to the "Meeting point" drill, where everyone finds their way to the agreed place without a phone.

Sources for this section: CDC "Reentering Your Flooded Home" (8/2026), BBK "Empfehlungen bei Hochwasser" (2024), City of Nuremberg (9/2026), City of Hameln (4/2026), Hannover.de (1/2025), City of Wiesbaden, FEMA Family Communication Plan.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting to see whether it "really gets that bad" although the authorities have called for an evacuation.
  • Having only one meeting point – and it is inside the closed-off area.
  • Relying only on your phone: no numbers on paper, no offline map, no printed plan.
  • Everyone calls everyone instead of texting the contact person outside the region.
  • Taking the lift during a fire or evacuation.
  • Walking or driving through smoke-filled stairwells or flooded roads.
  • Packing the emergency bag only when the doorbell rings – and then forgetting medication, glasses or the charger.
  • Not asking the school how it handles emergencies and who it will hand the children to.
  • Leaving pets shut in at home when the town hasn't said that is fine.
  • Turning off gas and electricity on your own initiative – or missing an instruction to do so.
  • Forgetting neighbours who can't get out on their own.
  • Going back too early, before the area has been released.

Checklist

  • Meeting point 1 right by the house, on your side of the street
  • Meeting point 2 in the neighbourhood, reachable on foot
  • Meeting point 3 outside town
  • Main and alternative destination agreed (also: pets welcome?)
  • Two routes per destination, in different directions, one on foot
  • Routes marked on a paper map, walked or driven once
  • Offline map of the region downloaded, meeting points on the map
  • Contact person outside the region asked and entered
  • Phone numbers on paper, in every wallet and emergency bag
  • School or nursery emergency plan checked, two pick-up people registered
  • Children know the meeting points, their name, address and one phone number
  • One emergency bag per person, ready to go within half an hour
  • Document folder ready to grab, digital copy saved
  • Medication schedule and supply of medication
  • Pets: carrier, lead, food, somewhere to stay arranged
  • Care needs sorted: who helps whom to leave the house?
  • Main water tap, fuse box, gas shut-off noted under "Where's what"
  • Municipality's emergency meeting point known
  • Warning app installed, battery or wind-up radio
  • Plan printed, shared by QR code with every phone in the household
  • Evacuation and meeting-point drills done, next date set

Sources

All links checked on 5 November 2026.